Consort Guo, imperial consort rank '' Shufei '' (郭淑妃) (disappeared 880), was an imperial consort of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. She was the favorite concubine of Emperor Yizong (Li Wen/Li Cui) and the mother of his favorite daughter, Princess Tongchang.

Background

It is not known when the future Consort Guo was born. When she was young, she entered the mansion of Li Wen, who was then the Prince of Yun, and became his concubine. At that time, Li Wen, who was the oldest son of then-reigning

Emperor Xuānzong Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (July 27, 810 – September 7, 859) (reigned April 25, 846 – September 7, 859) was an emperor in the latter part of the Tang dynasty of China. Personally named Li Yi, later renamed Li Chen (), and known before his rei ...

, was not favored by Emperor Xuānzong, and he lived with other more distantly-related imperial princes at the princely residences known as the 16 Mansions, while the other sons of Emperor Xuānzong lived inside the palace.'' Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 249. Emperor Xuānzong also despised it when people raised the issue that he should create a Crown Prince. Li Wen thus was often fearful of his father's wrath. It was said that Consort Guo tended to him carefully and comforted him.''

New Book of Tang The ''New Book of Tang'', generally translated as the "New History of the Tang" or "New Tang History", is a work of official history covering the Tang dynasty in ten volumes and 225 chapters. The work was compiled by a team of scholars of the So ...

'', vol. 77.

As imperial consort

Emperor Xuānzong died in 859. Initially, three high-ranking eunuchs that Emperor Xuānzong favored, Wang Guizhang (王歸長), Ma Gongru (馬公儒), and Wang Jufang (王居方), were set to have Li Wen's younger brother, Emperor Xuānzong's favorite son Li Zi (李滋) the Prince of Kui, declared emperor, but another eunuch who opposed them, Wang Zongshi (王宗實), arrested and executed them. Wang Zongshi issued an edict in Emperor Xuānzong's name, creating Li Wen Crown Prince (and changing his name to Li Cui). The next day, Li Cui was declared emperor (as Emperor Yizong). Emperor Yizong created Consort Guo ''Shufei'' (淑妃), the second highest rank for imperial consorts. Her daughter was created the Princess Tongchang, and became Emperor Yizong's favorite daughter. When Princess Tongchang married the official

Wei Baoheng Wei Baoheng (韋保衡) (died 873), courtesy name Yunyong (蘊用), was an official of the Chinese Tang dynasty. He became extremely powerful late in the reign of his father-in-law Emperor Yizong, rising to the post of chancellor and becoming the m ...

in 869, Emperor Yizong spent immense amounts of gold and silver, as well as many other treasures, as her dowry, and also gave her a mansion. Because of Wei's marriage with Princess Tongchang, he was allowed to enter the palace at will and often feasted with Consort Guo, leading to rumors that he was having an affair with Consort Guo. In 870, Princess Tongchang died. Emperor Yizong was so shocked by her death that he, in anger, killed more than 20 imperial physicians, who were not able to save her. He further imprisoned some 300 relatives of those physicians. When the

chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

Liu Zhan and the mayor of Jingzhao Municipality (京兆, i.e., the region of the capital Chang'an) Wen Zhang (溫璋) tried to speak against these actions, both of them offended Emperor Yizong and were demoted; Wen committed suicide. Princess Tongchang was buried in a grand ceremony with much treasure, such that the servants of the Wei household were gathering up the ashes of the items burned at the funeral in order to screen out the gold and silver in the ashes. Even after the burial, Emperor Yizong and Consort Guo missed her greatly, and they commissioned the musician Li Keji (李可及) to write a musical piece known as the ''Sigh of a Hundred Years'' (歎百年曲). Several hundred dancers danced to the music. Immense amounts of jewelry from the imperial storage were used to dress the dancers up, and a large amount of silk was used to cover the ground that they danced on.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 252. In 872, when the deputy principal of the imperial university, Wei Yinyu (韋殷裕), submitted a petition accusing Consort Guo's brother, Guo Jingshu (郭敬述), who was then the administrator of the imperial armory, of various immoralities, Emperor Yizong was so incensed at the accusation that he arrested Wei and put him to death by caning, and further confiscated his household to be servants. Emperor Yizong also exiled many officials accused of being Wei's associates.

After Emperor Yizong's death

In 873, Emperor Yizong died, and Li Yan, his son by the deceased imperial consort, Consort Wang, became emperor (as Emperor Xizong). Subsequently, Wei Baoheng, who was a chancellor by that point, was accused of various improprieties. Wei was exiled and subsequently ordered to commit suicide. However, Consort Guo appeared to escape reprisals and remained in the palace. In 880, the Tang realm was in upheaval over various rebellions, when the strongest of those rebels,

Huang Chao Huang Chao (835 – July 13, 884) was a Chinese smuggler, soldier, and rebel, and is most well known for being the leader of a major rebellion that severely weakened the Tang dynasty. Huang was a Salt in Chinese history, salt smuggler before ...

, captured Chang'an, forcing Emperor Xizong to flee.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 254. Consort Guo was unable to accompany Emperor Xizong in flight. It was said that after this, her whereabouts became unknown, and it was not known what happened to her.

Notes and references

* ''

'', vol. 77. * '' Zizhi Tongjian'', vols.

251 __NOTOC__ Year 251 ( CCLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Traianus and Etruscus (or, less frequently, year 1004 ' ...

252 Year 252 ( CCLII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Trebonianus and Volusianus (or, less frequently, year 1005 ''Ab urbe ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Guo, Consort 9th-century births Tang dynasty imperial consorts Year of death unknown